Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Another rainy Fenway day

Is there anything quite as depressing as staring at a rain-soaked field? It was miserable all day, but finally it has cleared up and they are projecting a 7:15 start time.

I’m lucky, I sit in a press box with windows, but I felt bad for fans just sitting out there earlier today and last night wondering if there would even be a game. You sit out there and eat a hot dog, drink a cold or hot beverage to keep warm and generally sit in misery. I’ve been there, done that, I think any baseball fan has.

It’s the worst to be excited about having tickets to the game and then having it be lousy out, but I guess that should be expected in these parts this time of year.

It feels like forever that there’s been a game and you could tell in Francona’s pre-game session with reporters today. It was the third time we’ve spoken with him since they last played a game, so what more is there to ask?

There’s not a whole lot of pre-game news. Boomer continues to get better, and Tito made it sound like they’re going to try to reign him in so he doesn’t force a re-injury.

In the meantime, what to do about the fifth starter spot? DiNardo? I still think he’s best suited as a long reliever, and I think he can be a pretty decent one. But I’m not sure he’s a guy who can succeed every fifth day at the Major League level.

What an outstanding pitching matchup tonight. Beckett and Halladay, nice one to watch from a cozy living room with the fire going. Not sure how fun it would be to be here in this raw, miserable weather.

As for the whole Damon situation, I’m glad it’s over. The comments in the blog were wide-ranging and interesting to read. Everyone has an opinion but certain posters seem absolutely incredulous when someone else disagrees. Different opinions make the world go round, so we should all just enjoy trading them, and not get furious just because someone else sees something a different way.

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I actually kind of hope they don’t get to play tonight, so that way the rotation has to be changed up a bit, and then I don’t have to watch DiNardo pitch on Sunday, when I actually get to go to a game.
It’s selfish, I know, but I can’t stand watching him as a starter, it’s painful.

But then again, I would LOVE to see some baseball tonight! I had to watch the “Red Sox in 2″ on NESN last night to get my fix.

Fisher, Im glad someone else has my problem. See, I’m going on Friday and earlier this week I had Schilling lined up to start. Even after last night’s rain out I think Schilling still would start on Friday evening. But this! Back-to-back rainouts?! What will this do for the roto?

Any insight on how the rotation might fall on Friday?? and on Sunday??…for fisher’s sake.

My problem is a little different. My internet access in my apartment is nada…no idea why. So I can’t see the games at all. My options are to stay at school until 9:00 or 9:30 and use Gameday here….or keep my mom on the phone for hours.

I’m glad the Damon stuff is over. Some of those posts were really…..uh, agressive? Irrate? Rude? Some people need to get their blood pressure checked. I felt like every post was a shouting tirade.

I’d be happy to drop this subject as soon as you do, but you bring it up again. The most incredulous contributor, Ian, has been you. You’re the one who has been criticizing those of us who have no love left for Damon. Take your blinders off, boy! Are you the pot or the kettle? Now, lets drop it…and go on to the rest of the season where you may gain some better perspectives, good buddy!

Oh, Montage, my college student friend. We have not been “agressive” and “irrate”. Aggressive and irate, perhaps. Give your mom a break…and stay off the phone. She has to pay the bill…and you need to study more. By the way, hon, I’ve already been to college (and PASSED!!!).

OK, Daniel Fagan1940, I promise to try to improve my perspective if you promise to sound like you’re in a good mood once in a while. Every post you’ve made is negative. Don’t you ever see a silver lining, anywhere?

Oh, Montage, my college student friend. We have not been “agressive” and “irrate”. Aggressive and irate, perhaps. Give your mom a break…and stay off the phone. She has to pay the bill…and you need to study more. By the way, hon, I’ve already been to college (and PASSED!!!).

Oh, Montage, my college student friend. We have not been “agressive” and “irrate”. Aggressive and irate, perhaps. Give your mom a break…and stay off the phone. She has to pay the bill…and you need to study more. By the way, hon, I’ve already been to college (and PASSED!!!).

SORRY, IAN. SORRY, MONTAGE. DIDN’T MEAN TO POST BUT ONCE. SEEMS MY DIARRHEA OF THE KEYBOARD HAS SPREAD TO MY POSTINGS. I’M EMBARRASSED! I’LL SHUT UP FOR THE NIGHT. MONTAGE, I’M REALLY SORRY, BECAUSE TYPING IN A HURRY, I MAKE MANY TYPOS MYSELF, WHICH I’M SURE YOURS WAS. BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR COLLEGE CAREER. I KNOW YOU WILL DO GREAT. AND, KEEP UP YOUR ENTHUSIASM…KEEP POSTING! AND, IAN, MY SILVER LINING IS IN YOUR PROMISE IN THE FUTURE.

I’m going tomorrow and wanted to see Beckett since I saw Clement last time I went out, but this will work better with next weeks series in New York.
The rescheduled Yankees game calls for a 5 game series in August. That is exciting and all, but five Yankees games is almost a little much. It calls for a full pitching rotation only a month and a half before the playoffs (hopefully). It’ll be interesting to see if the response for Damon is a little different next time.

If I was at the game, I would have done the same thing(boo him). It was intense, and the game was close. I was on my feet at home. Plus, I gotta admit, the money on the field was hilarious.

In Ian’s article “Sox-Yanks Finale Postponed by rain” it says that DiNardo has been pushed back to Sunday.
I suppose I should be more supportive, but I’m just not confident with him on the mound as a starter. But yes, lapinski, this does make the rotation pretty golden for the series at the Yankees next week.

But man, this game right now?? These are my Red Sox! Come on guys, you tied it, time to finish it!

Does anyone know of a batter that ever played for the Redsox that is worse than Alex Gonzales? He obviously can’t hit, he can’t even bunt. The Redsox should have read STERIODS the minute the saw 20+ homers one year and then a terrible season last year. It’s almost too painful to watch rally after rally get killed by Gonzales.

I have no idea what’s wrong with Loretta. He’s a career .300 hitter, hitting .207 thus far. He and Gonzalez are rally killers. And, oh by the way, our bullpen blows. The only person I trust is Papelbon (eventhough he lost the game tonight). Timlin gives WAY too many hits, and Seanez can’t get it done. Foulke is still not ready. I think Delcarmen will come around and hopefully Tavarez won’t go nuts like he usually does. This team has a LOT of problems, and I don’t think Coco Crisp’s return is the answer…

MLB (announcers, GMs, coaches) need to start categorizing the types of players like Gonzales and Lorretta… Players who had big years at the tail end of the steriods era. If you look at it logically, it makes perfect sense why these guys are terrible now… Here is the simple equation: (Big Years for guys on Roids) – (few years older) – (few injuries) – (STERIODS) = Player that now *****. I’m getting tired of everyone making believe the Steriods era didn’t occur. Why are we talking about the few superstars that got caught when there probably is 100’s of guys that didn’t get caught, but now need to produce somewhere near the level they did on Roids.

i find it funny that in boston it’s 50 and rainy and in vegas it’s 95 and sunny. anyway, i almost had a heart attack when i saw seanez up in the pen. he has been very bad this year (and that is an understatement) right now the sox front office ain’t lookin so bright for trading hanley ramirez (even though that would probably result in no josh becket) or edgar renteria!!!(18 or 19 game hit streak) (and even though that might have resulted in no coco crisp). i really hope take gonzales gets better for his sake of he;s gonna start gettin booed if his average drops any more.

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